Rotary gas-engine.



J. E. FRIEND. ROTARY GAS ENGINE. APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 5, 1901.

91 3,635. v Patented Feb. 23, 1909.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Yfiinesses: I 620737; Edward Friend I fliiorrzeys.

J. E. FRIEND.

ROTARY GAS ENGINE.

AIPLIOATION FILED" AUG. 5, 1907.

913,635. Patented Feb. 23, 1909.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

/7zveni0r: Wb'inesses: George Edward Friend.

J- E. FRIEND. ROTARY GAS ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 5, 1907.

Patented Feb. 23, 1909.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

fawn/Z07:

W/57Z85'666. 620756 Ida/card Friend J. B. FRIEND.

ROTARY GAS ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 6, 1907.

91 3,635. Patented Feb. 23, 1909.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

fnvenior:

7li5nea9es: George Edward fiz'end A 2550772 ays.

J. E. FRIEND.

ROTARY GAS ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 5,1007.

Patented Feb. 23, 1909.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

FIG ff.

W /n venior.

'5 16 907522- Zdward Friend V/iinesws m Patented Feb. 23, 1909.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

FIG. [6.

J. E. FRIEND.

ROTARY GAS ENGINE.

APPLICATION I'ILED AUG. 6, 1907.

Edward Friend .14 850772 e yts'.

Wdnesses.

I {I 7 I JOHN EDWARD FRIEND, OF WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND ROTARY GAS-ENGINE.

Specification of Application filed August 6,

a No. 913,635.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN EDWARD FRIEND, a subject of His Majesty the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at 71 Lambton direction of the arrowFig. 1.

Quay, Wellington, in the Colony of New Zealand, have invented a certain new and useful Im roved Rotary Gas-Engine, of which the fol owing is a specification.

- The invention provides an engine having a revolving piston operated by an exploded mixture of gas and air.

According hereto a piston fixed upon the eriphery of a disk revolves within an annuar' chamber. 1 The explosive charge is admitted to the annular chamber between the piston and a cylindrical abutment provided with a groove or cavity which synchronizes in rotation with the piston and allows it to ass. The charge is then exploded and the orce thereof causes the piston to make a rotation when the used gas is exhausted and a new charge taken in. The explosive charge is (prepared by compressing gas and air in an m ependent receiver.

Referring to the drawings :Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section, Fig. 2' an end elevation, Fig. 3 a side elevation of a receiver, Fig. 4 an end elevation looking from the Fig. 5 a lan, Fig. 6 a central cross section on line 1 "A Fig. 1. Fig. 7 a sectional elevation of a gas valve Fig. 8 a lan Fig. 9 a sectional elevation of an air va ve Fig. 10a sectional elevation of an air and gas valve, Fig. 11 a sec tional plan, Fig. 12 a front elevation of the valve chest, Fig. 13 a sectional plan exhaust chest Fig. 14 a sectional elevation of the receiver valves, Fig. 15 is a sectional elevation,

Fig. 16 a longitudinal section of the contact bars, Fig. 17a part end elevation of a circular Wall, Fig. 18 a sectional plan on line B-'B, Fig. 17 Fig. 19 a sectional elevation, and Fig. 20 a longitudinal sectional elevation of a piston on line CC, Fig. 19, Fig. 21 a sectional elevation of a pump, and Fig. 22 is an elevation of a three way cook. a

The circular casing 1 has anintegral end 2 and has its other end closed by a cover 3 secured to the casing by studs 4 and nuts 5. Bearings 6 and 7 integral with the end 2 and cover 3 respectively are rovided with bushes 8 and 9 through whio a main shaft 10 passes. 'Bearings 11 and 12 supported J upon brackets 13 and 14 integral with the 55' 6nd 2and cover 3 respectively are adjustable 'Yertically'by means off set screws 15 and 16;

Letters Patent. I

Patented Feb. 23, 1909.

1907. Serial No. 387,032.

them and use the same figures to indicate the corresponding parts of the other. Corre sponding circular walls 20 and 21 respectively integral with the end 2 of the casing and cover 3 project towards each other. A disk 24 having a boss 25 is secured upon the main shaft 10 and fits accurately between the rims of the walls 20 and 21 a gas tight joint being made between these parts by the packing rings 22 and 23 in recesses in the rims of the walls and pressed upon the faces 'of the disk by springs 26. A piston 28, fitting the annular chamber 27 provided between the peripheries of the circular walls 20 and 21 and the casing 1 has a head 28 integral with the disk 24, and a cover plate-29 secured to the head by bolts 30 and nuts 31 retains in position the L shaped packing bars 32 and 33 which have a rectangular cross section and when. arranged in pairs fit the rectangular cross section of the annular chamber. The meeting ends of the bars 32 and 33 may be chamfered as shown by full lines at 34 and 35 in Fig. 20 or the said ends may be formed to meet as shown by dotted lines at 36 and 37 in the same figure. These packing bars are operated by springs 38 whereby they are made to bear against the top and bottom of the annular chamber and by end springs 39 whereby they are made to bear against the end 2 and the cover 3 of the casing. The upper part 32 of each packing bar is rovided with slotted holes 40 and 41 which t loosely over ins 42 and 43 res ec'tively screwed into the p1ston head 28 see igs. 19 and 20. This arrangement permits limited movement of the packing bars, which are thus prevented from moving outward to such an'extent as to catch the ed es of a cylindrical chamber 44 integral with the casing 1. A cylindrical abutment 45 provided with a groove or cavity 46 .fits within the chamber 44 and is mounted upon a spindle 47 having bearings 48 and 49 .securedto the end 2 and cover 3 respectively. The abutment is continuously rotated by Jneans of a toothed wheel 50 secured upon the shaft- 47 and meshing with a corresponding tooth wheel 51 fixed upon the shaft 10. The

I These bars-produce a gas tight joint between the abutment 45 and the circular walls.

The casing and the chamber 44 are cooled by admitting water through a ipe56 and circulating it through a channel 57 formed around the 'said casing and chamber and discharging it through pipe 58.

A pump mounted on standards 59 comprising a cylinder 59 fitted with a piston 60 reci rocated by the crank 19 compresses an exp osive mixture of gas and air within the receiver 61. The gas is drawn into the pump at one end of the cylinder from a gas supply main 62 through the valve 63 (see Figs. 1, 4

and 7) working upon a seat 64 the valve being automatically closed by a spring 65 located upon the stem 66. Air is simultaneously drawn into the pump through an air'valve 67, see Fig. 9, similar to the valve 63 but having a nut 68 upon its stem 69 whereby the lift of said valve may be regulated as desired. Gas and air are drawn into the opposite end of the pump through a gas valve 70 corresponding with valve 63 and an air valve 71 corresponding with the air valve 67. a The mixture of air and gas is delivered from one end of the pump to the pi e 76 leading to the receiver 61.through a vave 72, (see Figs. 1, 2 and 10) Working upon a seat 73 and returned by a spring 74 upon its stem 75. From the opposite end of the pump the mixture is de ivered to the pipe 76 through a valve 77 corresponding in al respects to the valve 72. A charge of the explosive mixture between the abutment 45 and the piston 28 when the piston is'in either of the positions indicated in dotted lines Fig. 6, the receiver having a valve 78 shown in detail in Fig. 14-. valve is hollow and cylindrical and slides within a casing 79 opening and closing ports 80 therein through which the explosive mixture passes by means of pipe 81, to the valve chest 82. The valve .78 has a stem 83 projecting'through a cover 84 a spring 85 upon said stem tending to maintain the valve in its closed position, and a nut 86 screwing u on the stem regulates the compression of r t e spring.

A cam 87 upon the main shaft 10 vibrates at each revolution a lever 88 pivoted at 89 and bearing at its opposite end upon the nut 86 whereby the valve 78 'is opened for passage of 'gas to'the valve chest 82 through the cook 90. The valve chest is fitted upon the end of the casing and contains two non-re turn valves 91 and 92. The-valve 91 closes an opening .93 communicating with a port This 105 leading to the annular chamber, the valve having astem 94 working through the neck 95 a nut 96 upon the stem compresses a'spring 97 located upon the ne'ckv and tending to close the valve. The valve 92 is of precisely similar construction closes the opening 98 communicating with port 106 leading to the annular chamber upon the opposite side of the abutment to port 105, the valve has a stem 99 passing through the neck 100, and the nut 101 thereon compressin spring .102.

he cock 90'has a portway 103 passing half way through the plug 104 and then branching at right angles the plug may therefore be turned to direct the explosive mixture 1 the piston being then upon the opposite side of the abutment'to that shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6. The ports 105 and 106are crossed by bars 107 which prevent the piston packing bars from catching in the ports.

The ignition of the explosive charge is effected by an electric spark from a battery 108. Upon the. main shaft 10 is a contact conducting material across the periphery of which extends a strip of copper 110. The

breaker consisting of a drum 109 of non-v wiper 111 rests upon the drum and is in electricalconnection with a terminal of the battery 108, ,a second wiper 112 rests upon the drum and .is in electrical connection through wire 117 with sparking plugs 113 and 114 one upon each side of the abutment I 45, and through wire 118 with sparking plugs 115 and 116 upon the second engine andsimilarly arranged in regard to the abutment thereof. The wire 119 continues the circuit to the vbattery so that at each revolution' of the shaft sparks are generated at the plugs within the annular chambers. Exhaust ports 120 and 12]. upon opposite sides of the abutment and opposite tothe openings 93 and 98 areone or other of them according to the direction in which the piston is revolving opened to an exhaust pipe 122 through the cock 123 in the exhaust chest 124 (see Fi s. 1, 2, 5 and 13) which has a portway 125 which permits this to'be done.

After the explosive charge has been ignited between the abutment and the piston asmall quantity of water in fine spray is injected through a narrow slot 126 extending across the annular chamber, communicating with a passage 127 in the casing through which water is forced at each revolution of the main shaft by a pump 128 said pum having plunger 129 and being connected with the passage 127 by a pipe 135, the plunger being operated y contact with a is cam 130 upon the main shaft, and returned a b aspiral spring 131 threaded upon the 12 er andbearing against the co ar 132.

A similar slot 133 is provided upon the,

opposite side of the abutment, communieating with a-passage 134 which is connected bya pipe 136 with the three way cock 137 upon :t e pipe 135 whereby water may be cutoff from one of the passages and admitted .tothe other'according to the direction in 15 which the engine is running.

What I do claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent ofithe United States is: 1. In arotary gas'fengine a casing, a shaft co-axial with the casing, a cam upon the shaft a receiver, a valve u on the receiver operable the cam, a va ve chest having an-opening in. the caslng, a pipe connecting the receiver and valve chest and a nonv return valve covering the said opening into the casingsubstantially as spec1fied.-*

2;. Ina rotary gasengine a casing,a shaft co-a'xial with the casing, a cam'upon-the shaft, a receiver, a .valve upon the receiver operableby'the cam,a va ve'chest having openingsinto the casing, non-return valves covering the said openings, a pipe connecting the receiver and valve chest and a cock in the valve" chesthavinga ri ht angled ortway forming communication etween t e pi e and one or other of the valves substantia y as specified.

3 In arotary gas engine a casing, a shaftco-axial'with the casing, acam upon the shaft, a receiver, a valve 11 on the receiver .40 operable by the cam, a va ve' chest having openings. into the casing, non-return -valves covering the said openings a pipe connecting. .the'receiver and valve chest and a cock in the valve chest having a right'angled p'ort-- way-"forming communication between the pipe and one or other of the valves, an exaust Chest upon the casin opposite the valve chest and having exhaust openings into the'casing, a 'cock in the exhaust chest havin a right angled portway communicatin'g-wlththeatmosphere and one or'otherof the said exhaust. openings substantially as specified.

' 4. In a rotary gas engine,.a casing, ashaft co-axia'l with thecasi ng, a crank upon the shaft, a pump operable by the shaft, valves foradmitting gas to the pump, other valves for admittingair tothe pump, other valves for emission of the contents of the pump,'a receiver, pipes connecting the'pump and receiver, a spring operate valve on the re: ceiver a cam upon the shaftand ada ted to operate'the said valve, a valve chest raving openings: into the casing non-return valves coveringjthe' said openings a pi econnecting the receiver and W1 ve chest an a cock in the valve chest'ihavin'g a right angled ortway forming" communication between t1e pipe and one or other of the'non-retui'n valves, substantially asset'forth. Y

5. Ina rotar gas engine a casing, a shaft co-axial with t ecasing, a piston revoluble in an'annular chamber within the casing, an

abutment having a cavity and rotatable across the annular chamber, means for admitting an explosive mixture of gas and air to the chamber between the piston and the abutment, means for igniting 'the mixture a cam u on the shaft a ump having a springoperate plunger opera le by the cam and a plpe'leadlng from the pum to a slot across the annular chamber para lel to the abutmeut substantially'as specified.

6. A rotary engine comprising a casing, circular walls projecting towards each other within the caslng, a' malnshaft co-axial with the circular walls, a disk upon the main shaft,

a piston u on the'disk and revoluble in the annular c amber. formed by the circular walls and-the casin an abutment havin a cavity and rotata le across the ann ar chamber a spindle .u on which the abut-' ment is secured toot ed Wheels one each upon the main' shaft and spindle respectively and gearing together-a cam upon the shaft areceiver a valve upon the receiver operable by the cam, a valve chest having openings into the casing non-return valves covering the said 0 enings, a pipe connectin the re- .ceiver an valve chest, a cock in t 1e valve chest having a right angled'por'tway forming communication between the pipe and'one or other of the'va'l'ves,'an exhaust "chest upon the casing opposite the valve chest and have 

